Gate hinge



W. F'. CONNOLLY.

GATE HINGE. l

APPLICATION FILED IUNE I7, I920.

Patented. Dec. 5, 1922.

mams.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w. F. coNNoLLY.

GATE HINGE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I7, 1920. IA37722- Patented Dec.5,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Bec. 5, 192,2.

Wierden r. ooNnoL'LY, or renter, rovvn.

GATE HINGE; y

Application ineargune 17,

To all 'whom .it may concern.'

Beit knoivn `that lg! VILLIAM F. CON# NOLLY, va citizen 'of the UnitedStates, residy ingat lFarley,l inthe county oi"Dubuque` and Stateo lewin4have invented `certain new and useful improvementsin Gate Hinges', ofwhich the following is a specification;` Y

This invention relatesto improvements in farm gates 4and )more`particularly' to the supporting means therefor. y j "An importantobject'oi this invention is to provide a supporting means for -rarmgates `having novel Vmeans vvhereby the gate may be securely adjustedthe desired distance above the ground' so asto clearsnow and otherobstructions in the patho travel or'v thega-te. y f A further object ofthe invention is to provide allhinge for gatesWhichWill prevent the gatefrom sagging and draggingfupon the ground. f f f y A further objectfofthe: invention is to provide agate hinge having novel means for allowingthe' gateto be elevated preparatory to opening the same.

A'further` objecto the invention is-,to provide la hinge for farm gatesandthe like which may be readily applied, which, durable in use andWhichmaybe .1nanufac` tured at a low cost. v l l Other objects kandadvantages olf the invention will `be apparenty during the course of the'following description InL the accompanying kdrawings formingv a' partolthis application and in which like numeralsl are employed to;designate like' parts throughout the same.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvjed hinge applied, f

f Figure 2v is a plan view oa farm gatek having theimprovedr yhinge7kFigure' is Va horizontalsection taken on line 3-13 of Figure l, 7 f

vFigure l `isy a perspective viewA or one of the hangers forming a partoit the hinge, 'Figure 5 is a perspective view of anothery hangerembodied in the invention.

"In the `drauf'ingsf wherein for the purpose ot' illustration is shown apreferred'embodi-` ment of' the inventionfthe numeral 10-r gen erallydesignates postor upright upon which a. gate All is supported forswinging movement through the medium of the im-` proved hinge. vTheimproved hinge `comprises upper and lower eye boltslQ and 13 s which areextended throughthepost l0 and 1920;., seal No. assen.

` are secured to the same by lock nuts lil. A

hanger generally designated by the numeral is connected to the lower eyebolt and is hingedly connected to the looped head 16 of thesame throughthe medium of a loop or eye 18 at its rear end. l

` lfit'h particular reference to y.Figure 5, ity will be observed thatthehanger l5 is substantiallyy Lal-shaped and comprises side arms 2O anda bightportion or connecting portion 2l to vwhich the eye or looplS isconnected. The forward -or free end portions `-el" the side arms 2O areofset inwardly and are y.termed With loops 2&5 lwhich receive vaf ybolt24 which is extended through the lower portion ofthe lo ysubstantiallvtill-shaped member 3G is coneeted. lfhe forward or 'lree endv portionsoi"- the arms E26 are o'lsetginwardly and are formed with loops 32arranged on opposite sides ot' Vthe gate 'and connected to the samethrough the medium oit pivot bolts Sil. The upper portion oftheyS-shaped member 30 is extended through the looped end Bil. of theeyeholty 12 and iscalpableof a pivotal move ment fithrelation to theloop Se uponlthe opening of the gate. 'l1 he lower portion of they-shaped member'() is in the :torni oi an eye or loop 3G to which thelooped head 38 or a locking rod d0 is connected.

rEhe4locking.;rod l0 is as illustratedin e 1,' suspended from* theeshaped member y30 and is extended through a laterally 'projecting ear4Q carried by one end portion of a locking 'The locking arm ishorizontal-ly pivoted to one side oi the gate through the medium oit apivot pin 4.5iand hasone end portion formed xvith an aperture' 426through 1-.vhich one end of coiltspring 4B is connected rllhe other endportion@k lhe coilslningl is connected to the rear poi' tion oit'` thegate through the inedium of affastening device 50 and the function ofthe coil spring is to draw the rtorward end portion of the locking arm43 downwardly so that the laterally projecting apertured ear 42 will bebrought into locking 5 engagement with the locking rod 40. Of course,when the forward portion of the arm 43 is moved downwardly, the sidewalls of the opening in the apertured ear 42 will be rigidly engagedwith the locking rod so as lo'to bite intothe same.

The gate is limited in its downward movement by Contact ot its rear endwith the connecting or bight portions 21 and 28 and when in its downwardposition will partake of a free swinging movement.

The means employed for releasing the arm 43 from locking engagement withthe depending rod 40 comprises a rod 52 having connection wit-h ahandle'or operating lever 53 which as illustrated in Figure 1 is pivotedat its upper end portion to the forward portion of the gate by a pivotpin 54. By moving the lower or free end portion of the handle 53 in thedirection of the free end portion of the gate, the laterally projectingapertured ear 42 of the locking arm 43 is moved at right angles to thedepending rod 40 so that the gate may move either upwardly ordownwardly. ln attaching a farm gate or the like to a post or othersupport through the medium of the improved hinge herein illustrated, theupper and lower eye bolts 12 and 13 are extended through and secured tothe post in such a manner that the looped ends ot the same are arrangedin vertical alignment. The-hangers 15 and 25 which have been previouslyconnected to the rear portion of the gate are then connected to thelooped heads of the bolts so that the gate may partake of a freeswinging movement. Attention is invited to the fact that the position ofvthe gate with relation to the ground may be adjusted by an adjustmentof the upper or lower eye bolts. That is to say, the forward portion ofthe gate may be inclined upward-ly to aslight degree by positioning thelooped head 34 of the eye bolt rearwardly of the looped head 16 of theeye bolt 13. In this manner the gate may be adjusted to clear anypermanent obstruction in the line of travel ofthe gate.

When it is desired to swing the gate to an open position to overcome anobstruction in the patho travel of the gate, it is merely necessary tomanually elevate the gate suiiiciently high to clear the obstruction.Upon being manu-ally elevated, the locking` arm of the gate securelygrips the depending locking rod 40 so that the gate is not allowed toaccidentally resume its lower- 'most position.

Upon returning the gate to a closed or partly closed position, the freeend pory6.5 tion of the lever or handle 53 may be drawn in the directionof the forward or free end portion of the gate so as to move'the lockingarm on the pivot 44. The pivotal movement of vthe locking arm 43releases the laterally projectingapertured ear 42 from lockingengagement with the depending rod 4() so that the gate will immediatelyby force of gravity be returned to its lowermost position.

With reference tothe vforegoing description taken inA connection withthe accompanying drawing, it will be observed that a hinge constructedin accordance with this invention may be readily and convenientlyapplied to gates of `various styles without the exercise of unusualskill or without the expenditure of much time.

In use the gate may be elevated to any desired extent within the limitof the locking rod 40 and the engagement of the bights 21 and 28 or" thehangers with the inner end of the gate so as to clear snowdrifts or anyother obstructions may be in the path of travel of the gate upon ybeingopened.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the invention andthat such minor changes in construction and arrangement of parts may beymade as will remain within the spirit of the invention and the scope ofwhat is claimed.

Having thus described the what-is lclaimed as new is:

1. Thecombination with a gate, of yoke 100 members pivotally connectedwith the gate and supporting the same for swinging movement, the gatebeing bodily movable infan upward direction upon thegsaid members tovarious elevated positions, a. rod pivotally 105 suspended from one ofsaid hinge members,

a clutch member ypivotally mounted upon the gate and coacting with thesaid rod to support the gate at various elevations, and means normallyiniuencing movement of 110 the clutch member to active position withrelation to the rod.

2. yThe combination with a gate, of yoke members pivotally connectedwith the gate and supporting the same for swinging move- 115 ment, thegate being bodily movable in an upward direction upon the said membersto' various elevated positions, a rod pivotally suspended from yone ofsaid hinge members,

a clutch member pivotally mounted upon 120 the gate and coacting withthe ysaid rod to support the gate at various elevations, means normallyinfluencing movement of the clutch member'to active position withrelation tothe rod, and means operable from, 125 the free side ofthe'gate :for moving the clutch member to inactive position.

3. rl`he combination with a gate, of yokel members pivotally connectedkwith the gate and supporting the same for swinging movev- 130invention,

ment, the gate being bodily movable in an upward direction uponnthe saidmembers, a rod suspended from one of the members, and means upon thegate for rietional engagement with the rod to support the gate atvarious elevations.

4. The combination with a gate and a fixed support, of eye memberscarried by the support, a yoke having spacedk arms straddling the lowerportion of the gate and pivotally connected therewith and a conneotingportion having pivotal engagement with one of the eye members upon thefixed support, a yoke having a connecting portion and arms straddlingthe upper portion of the gate and pivotally connected therewith,

the connecting portion of the yoke having a hook member extendingtherefrom and pivotallyengaging another of the eye members upon'the xedsupport7 the gate being supported' for swinging movementby the saidyokes and being bodily movable in an upward direetionupon the yokes, arod piv-r otally suspended from the hook portion of the connecting partof the second mentioned yoke, and means upon the gatefrictionallyooaotingy with the said rod to maintain the gate at various positions ofelevation.

In testimony whereof l aiiix my signature. f

WILLIAM F. ooNNoLLY. [14.8.]

